lamar



C. C. LAMAR Jan. 15, 1963 GAS VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1959 INVENTOR.

O/AzLEs C. LAM/1Q mw I \WVWE E m a w, mm w x Q s5 cw 31 ll. wm

Kaehmuzn, Mama and Wyhb ATTOEA/E Ks.

3,073,526 GAS VALVES Charles C. Lamar, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Harper- Wyman Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of illinois Filed Aug. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 833,564 3 Claims. (Cl. 236-99) The present invention relates to gas valves and has for its primary object the provision of a new and improved gas valve.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved thermostatic gas valve of the rotor disc type in which the disc is constructed and arranged to provide a low rate of gas flow when lower temperatures are to be maintained and to provide ahigh rate of gas flow when higher temperatures are to be' maintained.

In brief, the gas valve of the preesnt invention is of the rotor disc type, i.e., it includes a rotatable gas flow controlling disc provided with passageways cooperating with those in an associated valve body to provide a manually adjustable dual rate to flow of gas which, in a thermostatic valve, is regulated by a thermostatically actuated valve to maintain a cooking vessel, for example, at a desired temperature. In thermostatic valves, it is desirable that there be a low rate of gas flow when low temperatures are to be maintained in order to minimize overshooting. This is accomplished in the valve of the present invention by supplying gas from a body inlet to a main body outlet under control of the valve disc so that the flow to the thermostatically actuated valve and thence to the outlet is through a flow restricting orifice in the body.

This flow restricting orifice is bypassed in another range of positions of the valve disc to provide a higher rate of flow of gas to the main body outlet when higher temperatures are to be maintained. Further, inaccordance with another feature of the invention, the low rate gas flow is effected through a body passageway connected either to a lighting tower associated with the burner or a bypass around the thermostatically actuated valve so that the main body outlet is insured a minimum gas flow or burner ignition maintenance.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of an illustrated embodiment thereof, in the course of which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a valve constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the valve and thermostat actuating handle omitted, and with the valved in an intermediate open position;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the front end of the valve with the valve handle and associated bezel illustrated;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the valve as illustrated in FIG. 1, but with the valve in its off position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged axial cross sectional view through the valve taken along the broken line 4-4 of FIG. 2 with the valve in an intermediate open position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary axial cross sectional view along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2 illustrating, primarily, details of passageways in the valve body;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 4 and illustrating the rotatable control element in its off position;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIGS. 5 and 6, but illustrating the rotatable control element in low and high positions, respectively, for maintenance of temperatures as ofabout 175 and 375 F.; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view along the line 9-9 of FIG. 5 and illustrating details of bypass porting embodies in the valve.

Referring now to the drawings and first primarily to FIGS. 1 to 4, the valve of the present invention is indicated as a whole by reference character 10. It is adapted to be mounted upon and supplied with gas from a gas supply manifold 12, the mounting being effected by an externally threaded dependent nipple 14 within,

which is a gas inlet passageway 16. The valve includes, in the main, a valve body 20 within which is a chamber 22 (see FIG. 4) in which is mounted a thermostatically actuated regulating valve indicated as a whole by reference character 24 controlling the flow of gas from a manually operable valve 26 and including a rotary gas flow controlling valve element shown to be a rotor valve disc 28. This disc is adapted to be adjusted by a handle 39 which is also utilized to select the temperature to be maintained. The valve and operating means may take various forms, that illustrated being generally of the type disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Raymond F. Wiberg, Serial Number 817,519, filed June 2, 1959, now Patent No. 3,030,026.

The thermostatic valve 24 includes a relatively stationary valve seat 32 adapted to be moved axially for calibration purposes as by a rotatably calibration purposes as by a rotatably calibrating screw 34. The valve includes also a movable Valve member 36 biased away from the valve seat by a spring 38 and the position of which is varied by thermostatic actuating means. The position is varied as by a bimetallic lever 40 having one end 42 associated with the valve 36 and its other end 44 operatively associated with the rotatable axially movable shaft 46 having an intermediate threaded portion 48 movable by the valve handle 30 to vary the temperature to be maintained by the valve.

The position of the lever and, thus, of the valve member 36 is controlled by a thermostatically actuated power device 50 which maybe of the diaphragm type and connected as by a capillary tube 52 to a suitable sensing unit (not shown) which may be a thermostatic capsule maintained in contact with the bottom of a cooking vessel placed on a burner to which the flow of gas is controlled by the valve 10. For convenience, the thermostatic motor 50 may be mounted upon an end plate 54 closing the recess 22 and supporting also an outlet hood 56 communicating with a main gas outlet passageway 58 and through which gas flows to the burner in conventional manner.

The flow of gas to the thermostatic valve is controlled by the manually operable rotatable rotor disc 28 which has a planar face 60 abutting against a planar face 62 formed on the valve body. The body and disc are provided with passageways as will be described hereinafter interconnecting the inlet passageway 16 and the outlet recess 22 via the thermostatically operated regulating valve 24.

The valve handle (see FIGS. 2 and 4) has associated with it a bezel 70 mounted upon a bezel mounting tube 71 secured to the valve and having slots 71A for receiving tongues 70A of the bezel. The off position of the valve is indicated by a radial boss 72 on the handle when it is under an indicating dot 73 on the bezel. As the valve handle is turned from off in a counterclockwise direction, the temperature to be maintained by the valve is gradually increased as shown by the temperature markings on the handle running from F. to 450 F.

The rotor valve disc 28 is mounted in a housing or casing '78 having a larger diameter interior portion 89 and a smaller diameter axially extending portion 82 which are interconnected by a front wall 84 spaced some distance forwardly of the rotor 28. The casing issecured to the valvebody by suitable means such as screw bolts 86. The bezel mounting tube 71 is secured to housing portion 82..

3,073,526 Patented Jan. 15, 1963' The valve handle 30 is connected to the rotor valve disc 23 by valve stem means 90 and a drive yoke 92 whereby the rotor disc may be turned by the valve stem means. The valve stem means 90 includes an outer stem portion 94 of generally D-shaped configuration provided by a flat 96 and upon which the handle 30 is secured. it includes also a hollow inner somewhat enlarged portion 98 journalled in housing portion 82 and having slots 160 therein and connected to the valve regulating shaft 46 through a pin 162 at the end of the shaft extending into the slots, the pin and slot connection permitting relative axial movement between the shaft and stem means.

The drive yoke 92 is fixedly secured to the inner end of stem portion 98 as by peening 1G6 and it has radially inwardly extending keys 108 extending into opposed slots 160. The drive yoke 102 has a generally circular central part 112 at the outer periphery of which are opposed rearwardly extending drive fingers 114 extending into oppositely disposed slots 116 in the rotor disc 28.

The valve disc 28 is held against the valve body and the stem assembly is held in its axially outermost position by a spring 118, one end of which is seated against the outer surface of the valve disc and the other of which bears against the inside of the drive yoke 92. The construction is thus such that the valve can be made of the lock-in-ofi type.

In accordance with the present invention, the passageways in the valve body 20 and disc 23 are constructed and arranged so as to provide, in a simple and economical manner, the two rates of gas flow to the thermostatically actuated valve for maintenance of lower and higher temperatures. Referring now primarily to FIGS. 4 to 8, it will be noted that the valve body planar face 62 has a generally kidney shaped port 120 located at the lower part of planar face 62 and communicating through passageway 122 with the inlet passageway 16 in the nipple 14. The valve body also has a short arcuate ported passageway 124 located a short distance counterclockwise from port 120 and leading to the thermostatic valve 24 and recess 22, which, it may be remembered, communicates with the main outlet passageway 58. The valve body, further, has a recess 126 through which gas is supplied at a low rate to the passageway 124 in a certain angular positional region of the valve disc and handle.

Gas is also supplied from the recess 126 to a lighting tower or a bypass around thermostatic valve 24 through a passageway 128 and at a rate determined by a manually adjustable valve 130 controlling flow through the passageway. The passageway 128 includes a first portion 128A leading from recess 126 to the valve 130 and a sec ond portion 128B interconnecting the valve 130 and the chamber 22 back of valve 24.

The valve 130 is constructed as a unit including a rotatable control element 130A mounted in a tubular insert 138B fixedly secured in the valve body. The recess 126 includes a radially inner arcuate extension 126A extending toward port 120 and disposed radially inwardly of outlet passageway 124. If preferred, passageway 128 can be connected to a lighting tower (not shown) associated with the burner in known manner.

The rotatable valve disc 28 includes a flow controlling recess or passageway, indicated as a whole by reference character 132, so constructed and arranged that as the valve is turned on gas is supplied first to the recess 126 through extension 126A and thus to the bypass (or lighting tower). At the same time, and for a desired angular range of movement of the valve handle, corresponding, for example, to temperature settings in a first and lower range from about 175 F. to about 325 F., gas is supplied at a low flow rate to the outlet passageway 124 and thence past thermostatic valve 24 to the main outlet passageway 53. This is done through a flow restricting passageway 134 in the body interconnecting recess 126 and passageway 124.

The arrangement of the ports and passageways may be such, for example, that the maximum flow of gas through the valve, which is determined by the size of the orifice in the outlet hood 56, is about 12,000 B.t.u. per hour. The low rate of flow, determined by the orifice 134, may be about 5000 B.t.u. per hour. The bypass flow, as adjusted by valve 136, may be about 800l000 B.t.u. per hour.

The passageway 132 in the valve disc is generally arcuate in shape and includes a wide portion 132A and an arcuate extension 1323 adapted initially to register with the recess extension 126A as the valve is turned on, see PEG. 7, from the OE position of FIG. 6. As the valve is turned from the position of FIG. 6 to that of FIG. 7, there is provided a manually regulatable flow of gas until the registry between 126A and132B becomes greater than the area of the flow restricting passageway 134. There after, the lower rate of fiow is supplied through passageway 134 past the thermostatic valve 24, thereby to minimize overshooting of the temperature of the vessel under control of the valve.

The high rate of flow is provided when the wider portion 132A registers with passageway 124. As shown, this higher rate occurs when higher temperatures are selected. Also, prior to substantial registry between 124 and 132A, there is a manually regulatable flow above the low flow occurring through passageway 134.

While the present invention has been described in connection with the details of an illustrative embodiment, it should be understood that these details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A thermostatic gas valve, including in combination, a valve body having an inlet passageway, a main outlet passageway and a planar face, a rotatable valve disc having a planar face abutting the one on the body, said body and disc having flow control passages controlling communication between said inlet and outlet passageways, a thermostatically actuated valve between the valve disc and main outlet passageway for regulating the fiow of gas to the main outlet passagewa means operable conjointly with said valve disc for adjusting the temperature to be maintained by said thermostatically actuated valve, and said flow control passageways in the disc and body including first and second passageways interconnected by a flow restricting orifice, the second of said last mentioned passageways communicating with the thermostatically actuated valve, and there being a restricted and prededetermined fixed low rate of flow of gas from the first to the second passageway through said orifice over a first and substantial and definite range of angular movement of the valve disc corresponding to a lower range of temperatures to be maintained and said orifice being substantially bypassed over a second range of movement of the disc to provide a substantially higher rate of fiow corresponding to a higher range of temperatures to be maintained.

2. A thermostatic gas valve, including in combination, a valve body having an inlet passageway, 21 main outlet passageway and a planar face, a rotatable valve disc hav ing a planar face abutting the one on the body, said body and disc having flow control passages controlling conirnunication between said inlet and outlet passageways, a thermostatically actuated valve between the valve disc and main outlet passageway for regulating the flow of gas from the disc valve to the main outlet passageway, means operable conjointly with said valve disc for adjusting the temperature to be maintained by said thermostatically actuated valve, and said flow control passageways in the disc and body including first and second passageways in said body, interconnected by a flow restricting orifice, the second of said last mentioned passageways communicating with the thermostatically actuated valve, and there being a restricted and predetermined fixed low rate of flow of gas from the first to the second passageway through said orifice over a first substantial and definite range of angular movement of the valve disc corresponding to a lower range of temperature to be maintained and said orifice being efiectively bypassed over a second range of movement of the disc to provide a substantially higher rate of flow corresponding to a higher range of temperatures to be maintained.

3. A thermostatic gas valve, including in combination, a valve body having an inlet passageway, a main outlet passageway and a planar face, a rotatable valve disc having a planar face abutting the one on the body, said body and disc having flow control passages controlling communication between said inlet and outlet passageways, a thermostatically actuated valve between the valve disc and main outlet passageway for regulating the How of gas from the disc valve to the main outlet passageway, means operable conjointly with said valve disc for adjusting the temperature to be maintained by said thermostaticaliy actuated valve, and said flow control passageways in the disc and body including first and second passageways in said body interconnected by a flow restricting orifice and the second of which communicates with the thermostatically actuated valve, and the valve disc having a passageway cooperating with said inlet passageway and said first and second passageways, the valve disc passageway connecting said inlet passageway to said first passageway to provide a restricted and predetermined fixed low rate of flow of gas from the first to the second passageway through said orifice over a first substantial and definite range of angular movement of the valve disc corresponding to a lower range of temperatures to be maintained and the valve disc passageway also connecting said inlet passageway to said second passageway over a second range of movement of the disc to provide a substantially higher rate of flow directly from the inlet to said second passageway for a higher range of temperatures to be maintained.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,977,552 Grayson et al. Oct. 16, 1934 2,153,886 Grayson Apr. 11, 1939 2,765,809 Lamar Oct. 9, 1956 2,862,667 Hillebrand Dec. 2, 1958 

1. A THERMOSTATIC GAS VALVE, INCLUDING IN COMBINATION, A VALVE BODY HAVING AN INLET PASSAGEWAY, A MAIN OUTLET PASSAGEWAY AND PLANAR FACE, A ROTATABLE VALVE DISC HAVING A PLANAR FACE ABUTTING THE ONE ON THE BODY, SAID BODY AND DISC HAVING FLOW CONTROL PASSAGES CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS, A THERMOSTATICALLY ACTUATED VALVE BETWEEN THE VALVE DISC AND MAIN OUTLET PASSAGEWAY FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE MAIN OUTLET PASSAGEWAY, MEANS OPERABLE CONJOINTLY WITH SAID VALVE DISC FOR ADJUSTING THE TEMPERATURE TO BE MAINTAINED BY SAID THERMOSTATICALLY ACTUATED VALVE, AND SAID FLOW CONTROL PASSAGEWAYS IN THE DISC AND BODY INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGEWAYS INTERCONNECTED BY A FLOW RESTRICTING ORIFICE, THE SECOND OF SAID LAST MENTIONED PASSAGEWAYS COMMUNICATING WITH THE THERMOSTATICALLY ACTUATED VALVE, AND THERE BEING A RESTRICTED AND PREDEDETERMINED FIXED LOW RATE OF FLOW OF GAS FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND PASSAGEWAY THROUGH SAID ORIFICE OVER A FIRST AND SUBSTANTIAL AND DEFINITE RANGE OF ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF THE VALVE DISC CORRESPONDING TO A LOWER RANGE OF TEMPERATURES TO BE MAINTAINED AND SAID ORIFICE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY BYPASSED OVER A SECOND RANGE OF MOVEMENT OF THE DISC TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER RATE OF FLOW CORRESPONDING TO A HIGHER RANGE OF TEMPERATURES TO BE MAINTAINED. 